s well be a quotation from a report of the
latest exact statistics. The Indian maxim says: "There is truth in the
claim that the minds of the sons resemble more the minds of the
fathers, those of the daughters more those of the mothers."

We may leave the banks of the Ganges and listen to the wisdom of
Europe. Antiquity readily trusted the wonderful knowledge of men which
Homer displays. He has instinctively delineated the characters with
the inner truth of life. How far was this art of the creative poet
accompanied by the power of psychological abstraction? I do not think
that we can find in the forty-eight books of Homer even a dozen
contributions to our unwritten system of the naive psychology of the
nations. To be sure we ought not to omit in such a system the
following reflections from the "Odyssey": "Wine leads to folly, making
even the wise to love immoderately, to dance, and to utter what had
better have been kept silent"; or "Too much rest itself becomes a
pain"; or still better, "The steel blade itself often incites to
deeds of violence." We may have more doubt whether it is
psychologically true when we read: "Few sons are equal to their sires,
most of them are less worthy, only a few are superior to their
fathers"; or, "Though thou lovest thy wife, tell not everything which
thou knowest to her, but unfold some trifle while thou concealest the
rest." From the "Iliad" we may quote: "Thou knowest the over-eager
vehemence of youth, quick in temper, but weak in judgment"; or,
"Noblest minds are easiest bent"; or, "With everything man is
satiated--sleep, sweet singing, and the joyous dance; of all these man
gets sooner tired than of war." Some may even doubt whether Homer's
psychology is right when he claims: "Even though a man by himself may
discover the best course, yet his judgment is slower and his
resolution less firm than when two go together." And in the alcohol
question he leaves us a choice: "Wine gives much strength to wearied
men"; or if we prefer, "Bring me no luscious wines, lest they unnerve
my limbs and make me lose my wonted powers and strength."

It is not surprising that the theoretical psychology of the Bible is
no less meagre. Almost every word which deals with man's mind reflects
the moral and religious values and is thus removed from pure
psychology into ethics. Or we find comparisons which suggestively
illuminate the working of the mind without amplifying our
psychological understanding. We